tl;dr in tech - Issue #102
I hope you're all enjoying a well-deserved break this holiday season! It's always great to step away from the keyboard, recharge, and spend time with loved ones. But let's be honest, how many of you tried to make it look like you were giving that last-minute push to wrap up Q4? π No judgment here, we've all been there. Now, as we prepare to dive back in, I want to extend my best wishes to each of you for a restful and rejuvenating break.
Tech Landscape Predictions for 2024
As we look ahead to 2024, the tech landscape is poised for some exciting and, at times, challenging trends. Here's what I foresee:
The Return of Hiring: Anticipating a strong comeback in tech hiring in Q1 of this year, signaling a vibrant start.
The Continued AI Hype Cycle: Much like the journey of IBM's Watson, we'll see the AI hype persist, than normalize. Expect a plethora of half-hearted, patchwork AI applications. But, as with all technology cycles, expect normalization as the year progresses.
Cost-Conscious Engineering: Software engineers, brace yourselves for a continued focus on cost-efficiency. Cloud costs, in particular, will remain a crucial concern.
The Rising Demand for Engineers: The fields of AI, big data, and real-time analytics are growing, significantly expanding the scope and demand for skilled engineers.
Pivot in Data Teams' Focus: Data teams will likely shift from primarily setting up infrastructure and collecting data to analyzing and extracting actionable insights from the accumulated data.
The Role of Data Engineers: Despite the advancements in AI, data engineers will remain irreplaceable in 2024. Their role in managing and interpreting complex datasets is something AI isn't poised to take over just yet.
As software engineers, staying ahead of these trends will be key. Let's embrace the challenges and opportunities 2024 has in store for us!
Beautiful Branchless Binary Search
By: Malte Skarupke
tl;dr: Malte Skarupke stumbled upon Shar's algorithm, a branchless binary search. This discovery led to an exploration of its mechanics, showcasing the efficiency and elegance of branchless algorithms. A fascinating read for software engineers interested in optimizing search algorithms.
Writing Javascript Without A Build System
By: Julia Evans
tl;dr: Julia Evans discusses the appeal and frustrations of build systems in JavaScript development. She shares her perspective on why some prefer not using build systems and the challenges posed by frontend libraries that require them. A relatable piece for those grappling with the complexities of modern JavaScript development.
The Future Of Programming: Research At CHI 2023
By: Austin Henley
tl;dr: Austin Henley dives into the CHI 2023 conference proceedings, focusing on papers related to programming and AI. This roundup provides software engineers a glimpse into the latest research and trends in programming, particularly the growing influence of AI.
Theory Of Mind
By: Andrew Bosworth
tl;dr: βTheory of mind is a concept I first learned in a class on psychology. It describes our capacity to understand the mental states of others.β Andrew explains why this concept is the reason why its so important for leaders to communicate the context around their decisions.
CLI Tricks Every Developer Should Know
By: Kedasha Kerr
tl;dr: βWeβve compiled some important tricks and commands that every developer should know from GitHubβs own engineers. By mastering these basic techniques, developers can become more efficient at working with the command line and gain a deeper understanding of how the underlying operating system and programs work.β
Avoiding The Rewrite Trap
By: Camille Fournier
tl;dr: βYear after year, engineers convince themselves and their leadership that a rewrite will solve all their problems. And then they or their leadership get fired, because most rewrites fail to deliver anything at all. Avoid the trap: donβt go into this exercise unless it is the only way forward, and if you absolutely must, plan accordingly.β
How eBay Modernized The Most Important Page On Our Platform
By: [eBay Tech Blog]
tl;dr: βeBayβs View Item page lives at the center of our e-commerce platform. Our customers load this page over 250 million times each day, and stringent budgets on site speed and availability guarantee the quality of their experience. And yet, this page had its last intentional rewrite ten years ago.β
Database Fundamentals
By: Tony Solomonik
tl;dr: Tony Solomonik delves into the essentials of database engineering, inspired by key literature in the field. He reflects on the fundamental challenges and his journey in creating a basic database program. This article is a valuable resource for understanding the core concepts of database design and implementation.